Hi All,
Rescuee would have been a 60+ Korean gentleman.
I hiked the trail Tuesday. Hiking up at 14K, I passed the gentleman - he was still heading up but laboring. Coming back down, he had barely moved and could only totter a few steps before his friends helped him sit down. Any word of a rescue? It was a large group of Koreans on the mountain. Some had walkie-talkies. No idea if they had satellite phones. But no ibuprofen. We gave him some because he had a severe headache (HAPE).
We told the ranger overseeing trail work on the switchbacks of the man's predicament, but he said he could do nothing until somebody from his party asked for help. Plus it was not his jurisdiction, so that further complicated matters.
We had passed the hiker around 10AM, and by noon the heavy hail had begun (as well as mist, rain, thunder and lightning). No doubt they had to sit it out. I can only hope that he summoned the energy to make it back up to Trail Crest and down to camp.
And yes, the number of ill-prepared folks was staggering. One very large person amazingly made it (albeit slowly) to 14K and was sitting by the side of the trail with her family crying because no summit was happening. No doubt caught in the weather two hours later. Ditto some manner of "adventure" group in green tee-shirts. One older lady looking very out of place (slowly moving along at about Mt Muir) was asking semi-forlorn but hopeful questions.
Also sad that the campsites at the far /west end of Trail Camp are also used as a latrine. But the mountain remains wonderful and oblivious to us paltry humans, eh?
Last edited by Sewellymon; 08/15/12 05:42 PM.
